A Taichi Came Travelling
by Kentheemperor
Summary: In the pursuit of the perfect Christmas present for Sora, Tai finds himself in a very different kind of adventure. Taiora. Posting 1 chapter a day until Christmas.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my first Digimon Christmas fic! It's based around Taichi (which makes a change from my other stories) so it might appeal to a few more people. I'm going to try and post one chapter a day, with the last chapter falling on Christmas day. Enjoy!**

* * *

_The 18-year-old blonde stood outside the Takaishi residence, one hand burdening a bag full of gifts, the other reaching for the wooden door. Before he could even knock, the door swung open and Matt Ishida was greeted by the jubilant face of his younger brother. _

_"Matt!" Takeru Takaishi, or TK for short, couldn't have looked happier as he greeted his brother with a loving embrace. "It's so good to see you!"_

_Matt, looking equally as happy replied warmly "You too TK, is Mom in?"_

_"Yeah she's in the kitchen. C'mon, she's been waiting months to see you!" With that the younger boy led his brother by the hand into his home, while Matt could only chuckle at his exuberance. This was going to be an easy peaceful Christmas._

_All around the world the same events were transpiring. Brothers being reunited, gifts being shared, families coming together. Somewhere a turkey was burnt. However for one young man, this particular Christmas was going to be anything but peaceful._

* * *

The date was December 23rd and for Tai Kamiya, the unthinkable had happened.

Months ago Taichi had finished his Christmas shopping, and he was particularly proud of himself. Not only had he picked out the perfect gifts for most of his friends and family, (he wasn't doing anything last minute, _not after what happened last year_), he made sure he had time to go back and get something different in case he changed his mind. Every gift was pristinely wrapped; the wrapping paper suiting whomever the gift was for. On each gift was a short message, written in his best handwriting.

Dear [recipient],

Happy Holidays!

Tai

It was all done quickly and efficiently. By the end of it, Tai wouldn't have been surprised if he'd been told he was a direct descendent of Santa Claus. Which is why his telephone conversation with his good friend Izzy on the night of the 22nd of December, sent him into a state of extreme panic.

_"So Tai, what did you get for Sora?" There was no reply. "Tai? Hello?" _

He'd hung up of course. Well, dropped the phone and run out the front door would be a more accurate description. Somehow after months of meticulous planning, gift selection and wrapping, Tai had forgotten to buy a present for arguably the most important person. Sora Takenouchi was of course Tai's oldest and dearest friend, but to him she was more than that. To him, this was the girl he hoped to one day marry. Giving up an opportunity to make her smile on Christmas was not an option. Unfortunately, all the shops had been closed that night, both infuriating and worrying Tai further. His dilemma was not helped by the fact it was Christmas eve and not Christmas Day that the Digidestined got together and exchanged gifts, leaving Christmas day to be with their families. That left Tai just a day to find the perfect gift for the perfect girl.

And this brings us to the events of December 23rd, with a certain tall, bushy-haired boy running awkwardly through the chilly streets of Odaiba in search of a suitable present for his friend, making sure to bump into every man, woman and child that unfortunately found themselves in his path.

"Excuse me... Sorry... In a hurry!"

For the majority of the calendar year, Odaiba could be likened to a stern elderly man; hard working, traditional in his values and who would take one look outside on a rainy day, mutter his misgivings, and decide he was much better off staying inside. Around Christmas time however, the city became the jovial grandfather telling stories by the fire, bubbly and full of life. The streets were full with people of every age, all wanting a sample of the sights and sounds of the holiday season. Christmas lights hung from every tree and every lamp post, illuminating the city as day turned to night. Perhaps most noticeable was the fantastic array of smells that hung outside the cafés and restaurants, slyly tempting any passer-by to come in and try their holiday special.

Tai however didn't have time to enjoy any of this. Hours had passed and he was still no closer to finding anything Sora would remotely like. His previous Christmas spending meant that his allowance funds had all but dried up, so he'd spent the majority of his time sniffing around pop-up market stalls hoping he could find a bargain.

"I'll give you ¥3,400" Tai was virtually pleading with a short, bitter looking woman, but she refused to budge.

"¥5,100. No less" she stated bluntly. The item in question was a small pendant, amber in colour, that had an uncanny similarity to Sora's crest of love. It wasn't original by any stretch of the imagination, but the boy's patience was quickly running out.

"I already told you I don't have that much!" to his dismay, the woman swiftly turned her back on him and put the pendant back into its box. This wasn't the first time he'd left a market stall disappointed and as the evening drew closer he became more and more frustrated and upset. But then something caught his eye.

Tai Kamiya had all but admitted defeat when he came across the small but elaborate Victorian-themed market stall. It was set up under a gazebo, however it's 'roof' was so low he found himself ducking as to not hit his head on the steel bars that held it up. The place was filled with Victorian style items: plates, hats and toys, none of which caught Tai's attention. There wasn't even anybody in the stall that he could pay, not that he particularly wanted anything. In an instant all the days frustration hit him at once and he stormed out of the gazebo, forgetting about one thing.

"Ouch!" He held a hand to his forehead, dazed for a second. The steel bar he'd previously ducked under had smashed him right above his eyes. He was surprised he managed to stay on his feet, such was the force of the blow, but after a few seconds he managed to steady himself. A large sigh escaped his mouth. He was physically and mentally exhausted.

* * *

A despondent Tai trudged through the park on his way home, angry at the world and even angrier at himself. His eyes didn't leave the grassy floor as he pictured Sora's ever-present smile fade away as he broke the news. That was the worst thing, she wouldn't even make him feel bad about it. She was too kind. Breaking out of his trance, it crossed the boys mind that he had been walking for a lot longer than he should have. Moreover, his eyes were now looking at a concrete pathway, rather than the green grass of the park. Deciding to look up to see where he was going.

And then Tai's heart nearly stopped. He was no longer in Odaiba. He probably wasn't even in Japan.

"William, is that you?"

* * *

**And thats the end of the first chapter. If there's any feedback, I'll respond to it at the start of the next chapter (hopefully tomorrow!)**


	2. Chapter 2

Somewhere, a turkey was burnt.

"Davis you moron!" The purple haired girl was not unknown for raising her voice, but this time she had to shout just to be heard over the high pitched beeping of the fire alarm. "I knew it was a bad idea to let you cook the turkey! Of course I volunteered to do it but no, we have to take it in turns and let the idiot cook-"

The 'idiot' in question was Davis Motomiya, who stood ungracefully next to the overcooked bird. His lack of attention had turned what could have been a plump, tasty dinner into a shrivelled, charred mess. He couldn't decide which was worse to look at, the turkey or the girl in front of him screaming abuse.

"-I mean how hard can it be to put a damn bird in the oven and take it out again!" Yolei Inoue's rant had reached it's crescendo when three more bodies emerged from the black smoke which had now engulfed the apartment. At the head of them was Ken Ichijouji, Yolei's boyfriend.

"Ok Yolei I think he gets it" Ken said calmly as he made his way to the kitchen window. Within a few seconds of opening it, the fire alarm stopped. "Give the guy a break, it's his first time. Besides I don't even like Turkey that much anyway" Ken put his arm around his girlfriend who instantly softened.

"Yeah Yolei it's not that big a deal" Davis, who hadn't opened his mouth since the girl had started throwing insults, now defended himself.

"But now what are we going to eat?" Yolei asked, her shoulders slumped.

"Well we're eating Christmas dinner with our families, why do we have to have it now too?" It was Kari Kamiya who had joined the conversation. Standing next to her was the final person in the apartment, Cody Hida.

"Exactly, there's no reason why we can't just go to the mall and eat junk food" Cody laughed.

Finally they agreed that the mall was a good idea and set out into the evening air, all except one person.

"You guys go on, truth is my mom didn't want me out today anyway" Kari explained. "I think I'll make my way home. You guys have a good time!" Without time for any argument Kari set out in the opposite direction to the group.

She'd lied. There was no good reason for Kari to return home that evening. Not even she was fully sure why she was doing so. But she'd felt something. That little voice in her head was telling her that something was wrong and she had to go home. Arriving at the door of her apartment, Kari felt a shiver down her spine as she let herself in.

"Tai?" she called out. "Anyone home?" But of course Tai wasn't home. He was a long, long way away.

* * *

Tai spun on the spot, startled by the voice that had seemingly come from nowhere. Now that he had turned however, he came face to face with its owner. The man was was young, shorter than he was, with dark, intelligent eyes and a thick moustache. He was dressed extremely peculiarly, sporting a white shirt, bow tie and long black waistcoat that looked too big for him. He also wore a top hat. In one hand he held a walking stick, though as he walked forward it was clear it was only for fashion (or lack of it, Tai thought). There was something about the man that he recognised, but his thoughts were quickly scrambled. Looking down at himself, Tai was horrified to realise he was dressed exactly like the man in front of him, top hat and all.

"William?" The man repeated. It was obvious to Tai that he was talking to him, there was nobody else around.

"I think you've got the wrong person" He'd decided to tread carefully. Tai's mind was currently running a mile a minute trying to figure out exactly what was happening here. He'd been walking home, upset, then suddenly he was standing somewhere that was obviously not Odaiba with a strange man calling him William.

Tai's response had clearly confused the man. "William this is no time to be joking, we're very close to making a breakthrough. Come now, Samuel wants to hold a meeting with you." The mans voice had turned sharp, and that's what gave the game away. In an instant, Tai knew exactly who this man was. Those dark eyes, intelligent but secretive. His stature, thin and poorly built. And of course he was neatly dressed. It was Izzy.

But then, it wasn't Izzy. That was impossible. For a start Izzy didn't have a moustache and he certainly didn't carry around a walking stick. That was when Tai noticed a small cart, being pulled by two horses making its way towards them. The cart stopped next to them and 'Izzy' motioned to the door. He wanted Tai to get in. Things were happening very quickly and Tai was faced with a split second decision. He could run of course, but if he was correct in his assumption that he was no longer in Japan then he could easily find himself in an even more hopeless position than he was currently. But more than anything he was curious as to what was going on. Who was this man who reminded him so much of his dear friend? Despite himself, Tai stepped into the small carriage, with the young man following suit. Then with no warning they started moving.

Trying to keep his mind off the potentially ridiculous decision he had just made, Tai peered out of the tiny window he found next to him, looking also to see if he could identify where in the world he was. Firstly, the road was obviously not well made and it took a while to get used to what became a very bumpy ride. Either side of the cart stubby houses with thatched roofs stood side by side, packed tightly together. What defined this place though were the menacing black clouds that loomed overhead, threatening to swallow them whole. Tai assumed this could only have been the result of mass pollution. It was an utterly depressing sight, giving the feeling as though he was living in a black and white film. Wherever he was, Christmas didn't come here.

Quite abruptly the carriage came to a half and the young man, who hadn't spoken a word all journey, signalled for him to get out. They stopped outside of a building not dissimilar to any he had seen on the way. In the distance he was not surprised to see the outline of giant factories, feeding the black clouds above.

* * *

_Henry Brewer was the assistant to the famed private detective William Rowe. They'd solved a number of high profile cases together and in that time he'd developed a good detective's nose. It was very easy then, to tell that this young man sitting next to him was not William Rowe. Who he was, he couldn't say, nor could he explain how he looked exactly like his boss, but he was sure it wasn't him. Earlier that month the Mayer of London Samuel Wickes had asked William to help him solve a crime involving a notorious female theft who struck every time this year. The grinch, they called her. Mysteriously though, William himself had gone missing just as they found some crucial evidence. Henry had explained to Samuel that the man they had found was an impostor and they had better things to do than to deal with him. But the Mayer was intrigued by the story. _

_"I say we interrogate him!" Samuel exclaimed, though he was not angry. He was curious._

_"With all due respect we have a crime to solve and wasting our time with this man isn't going to help." Henry argued _

_"But perhaps he can help us" _

_ Now Henry was staring suspiciously at the impostor as the door opened and Samuel Wickes entered. _

* * *

Tai had to double take.

It had been explained to him that there was some sort of crime going on and they thought he could help them solve it. Apparently a photo of the criminal would be brought to him and he could tell them if he knew anything. Of course he was sceptical, but he wasn't at all prepared for what was about to happen. A man walked into the room, smiled at Tai and sat down. He took out a photograph. Quite clearly, quite horrifically, the woman in the photograph was Sora.

* * *

**Was this chapter too descriptive? It's hard to judge with these short stories. Anyway chapter 3 should be up tomorrow!**


	3. Chapter 3

"We're getting closer, don't lose her!" Henry had to shout to be heard over the rapid beating if hooves on concrete, as a dozen or so horses bounded after the silhouette in the distance.

Tai had never ridden on a horse before and he couldn't say he was particularly enjoying the experience. He was thankful he hadn't been given a horse for himself, instead gratefully clinging to Henry's back, keeping his head down as not to get whipped by the unrelenting wind. His backside was sore and his eyes watered. They had been in pursuit of the thief for at least half an hour now, winding through the cobbled streets of what he now knew was London. His head had been spinning ever since he'd laid eyes on the picture of his best friend; a wanted criminal.

_Tai was literally speechless. His heart was thumping against his chest. He'd developed a cold sweat. Of all the people in the world that could have been on that photograph, Sora Takenouchi was the last he would have expected. Unlike this world's version of Izzy, the woman in the picture did not share similar features to someone he knew, but in fact she was an exact copy right down to the way she did her hair. Samuel, the Mayor, saw the horrified look on the young man's face and decided to speak up._

_"So do you know anything about this woman?" _

_"I- I do" Tai stammered, struggling to maintain his composure. "I know her." He paused for a second, taking in a deep breath. "I can lead you to her."_

Of course he'd been lying, in truth he knew nothing about this woman. It was an impossible claim that he could tell the Mayor where she would be at a given time, in such a huge city that he had never been to. And that's what made Tai's plan so perfect. He didn't want them to find her.

He may have been delirious from the impossibility of the whole situation. It might have been the sight of Sora's face in such a foreign place that had messed with his brain, preventing him from thinking rationally. Maybe he'd just gone insane. Either way, Tai made the decision that he would not allow these men to capture the woman that looked like Sora, no matter what they did as a consequence of him lying. In his eyes he was being the hero. But all too quickly he became the villain.

He should have expected it really as he took the group of policeman, along with himself and Henry down winding roads and back ally's, randomly pointing to buildings in the distance. "Take the next left" he would say "just a little further now." Eventually he spotted an inconspicuous little hut a little way down the road, located next to a stable. Outside an old woman hung some clothes out to dry. "She's in there" Tai said nervously as he pointed at the hut. The place looked much too harmless to be harbouring a criminal. Despite some skeptical looks from Henry and a few of the policemen, they moved cautiously towards the residence.

Then out of nowhere, a bell rang. There was movement inside the stable and in a flash one of the horses darted out, accompanied by a rider, running straight past the group. One of the police horses shrieked as sharp spurs dug into its flesh. The chase began.

Was it sheer luck, or something more that had taken Tai to the only place in the city he didn't want to find? This wasn't the weirdest thing that had happened to him in the last few hours, not by a distance, but more and more he questioned whether this was even reality. Nevertheless he had to endure it and so tried to focus on another problem, like the dull pain in his backside.

The chase had brought the group through what Tai assumed must have been the city centre. Large factories now surrounded them, seemingly competing over which could pollute the air the most. The thick black clouds were even more foul here. Despite this the centre was much more densely populated than the areas he had previously seen, its people undeterred by the ugly effects of industrialisation. However soon enough the towns people disappeared from sight as the thief led the group down another back ally.

Tai heard yet another shriek as Henry dramatically pulled on the horse's reigns, turning sharply as they hit a bend in the alleyway. The force of the turn hit Tai like a wet sponge, throwing him off the horse and mercilessly into the cold, brick wall of the ally. He lay in a heap on the floor as he felt a warm liquid trickle from his forehead and down his face. "Henry..." He weakly called out the name of the detectives assistant, but he knew it was hopeless. He could still hear the faint beating of hooves in the distance, but they weren't coming back for him. He'd already served his purpose. He was about to succumb to unconsciousness when he felt the ground disappear beneath him, replaced by a hard wooden platform. His vision was too blurred to make out what was happening. Then everything went black.

* * *

_She watched over the young man with a mixture of concern and curiosity. Sipping on a cup of tea she observed the slight rise and fall of his chest as he slept peacefully, a white bandage wrapped tightly around his head. It was a good job she'd found him when she did. He'd lost a lot of blood. Finishing her tea the woman leant over the young man, pulling the quilt up closer to his face, keeping him warm._

* * *

Groggily Tai's eyelids blinked open. The first thing he noticed was the bandage wrapped around his head, immediately reminding him of the accident he'd earlier suffered. Next he noticed the warm bed he was laying in, the sheets pulled tight. The final thing he noticed was the young woman sitting next to him, a beaming smile on her face.

"Hey there buddy how're you feeling?" The woman asked. That woke Tai up.

"Who are you?" He wasn't sure why he asked that, he knew exactly who it was. It was Sora.

"Hey calm down, thats no way to talk to the person who's just saved your life" the woman chuckled however, reaching for a teapot on the table beside her. "Want something to drink?" She offered sincerely.

Though he'd rather have declined her offer, it occurred to Tai just how thirsty he was. Reluctantly he put the mug to his lips, then swiftly recoiled at the flavour of the drink. It wasn't anything like the tea he was used to.

The woman's face was full of amusement. "Now considering our positions," she paused to take a sip of her own tea "I think its best if you tell me who you are". She was right, Tai was at the complete mercy of this woman who'd clearly nursed him back to health. He owed her at least a truthful version of this story, whether she believed it or not. It took him 20 minutes, starting from his frustrating Christmas shopping right up to the moment he was thrown off a horse. He decided to leave out the fact that this woman was a carbon copy of the girl he was shopping for. At the end of it, she looked at him incredulously.

"So you think I'm some sort of criminal?" She seemed to have ignored the part where he magically travelled from Japan to England in the space of a few seconds. Maybe she didn't think it was important.

She shook her head and sighed "Let me tell you what's really going on here"

* * *

**Wow, a lot just happened. Tomorrow (Christmas!) should be the finale to this story, if not it'll definitely be boxing day. Thanks for reading and for sticking around this long!**


	4. Chapter 4

"First of all, whatever you've heard about me is true" The woman explained, her face completely serious. Tai was now dressed and sitting in a comfortable chair by the fire. He listened intently. "Yes I am a thief and I strike every year around Christmas time, however you need to know that I never steal for myself. Everything you see around you I've paid for through honest work; my house, my clothes, that fire.

"You must also know that the people you met-" she nodded at the door "-the detective and the Mayor, they are very rich men who are not always honest themselves. There exits vast corruption in this city." There was a tinge of sadness in the woman's voice as she continued.

"There are many people who, through no fault of their own, do not enjoy the same standard of living that I do. Whole communities of homeless people are forced to spend Christmas in rags, a few tree branches the closest thing to a Christmas tree. So every year I take it upon myself to spread a little more cheer to those who otherwise couldn't muster a smile. Unfortunately the only way I can do it is through stealing." She motioned to a large straw bag in the corner, filled with what Tai presumed to be the result of her thieving. "If you want, you can come with me when I deliver this to them." Moved by her story, Tai could only nod.

"Great" she said, the fire returning to her eyes "we'll leave tonight."

* * *

The light of the full moon clashed with the ever-present clouds that shrouded the city of London, creating an eerie fog that wandered gloomily through the streets with no destination. Fighting against the fog (and losing) was the mysterious brass glow of old street lamps.

Despite the fog Tai crouched low to avoid being seen. He sat in the shadow of a building and waited for his signal to run. Across the road a young woman who looked exactly like his friend Sora was checking for any nearby policeman. When she was happy there was nobody in sight she put her thumb up, signalling for Tai to join her. Keeping low he reached the other side of the road. He was panting, tired from the numerous sprints he'd made that night. The woman however looked perfectly comfortable. She was fitter than she looked.

"Not far to go now" she virtually whispered. Laying next to her was the straw bag that she'd been lugging around all night. Wanting to help, Tai went to carry the bag himself but was surprised when his arms gave way, unable to lift it. He heard a snicker next to him. "Let me handle that" she said as she effortlessly slung the bag over her shoulder. This woman was becoming more and more astonishing every minute, and Tai still didn't even know her name.

Sure enough it wasn't long before the pair came to a clearing, well away from the city centre. The landscape had changed dramatically. Aside from the pollution all the places Tai had seen so far were remarkably clean, but this place was covered in litter and grime. It smelt too, a horrible combination of sewage and dead animals. Tai couldn't imagine anybody living here. But soon enough, bodies started to appear out of nowhere.

When he had been told of homeless communities, Tai had pictured a few guys in rags congregated around a dirty fire. In reality, that couldn't have been further from the truth. There were families, large ones at that, kids with grubby faces ran towards them as they approached, the happiest they'd looked all year. Men and women alike greeted them with grateful smiles and warm hugs. Immediately it was clear the difference this woman was making to these people's lives, if only for one day a year.

"Clara!" A man who looked in his 40s waddled towards them, wearing a bright smile from ear to ear. "I can't believe you've come to look after us again. You really are God's gift" he grinned. "And who's this you've brought along with you?"

"Oh this is..." Clara, who finally had a name, gave Tai a puzzled look.

"I'm Tai, nice to meet you" he cut in, extending a hand to the homeless man. The pleasantries continued for a while until Clara announced loudly, to the delight of the children:

"So, I think its time to give out these Christmas presents!"

* * *

Miraculously the dirty backstreet had been transformed into its own little winter wonderland. First and foremost Tai had helped Clara clear away the rubbish, making the place more bearable. Next she'd given out food and drink which was gratefully eaten up in a matter of seconds by the ravenous folk. She supplied clothes to some of the children, many of whom her were referring to her as 'Auntie Clara'. Finally everybody came together to cover the place in Christmas decorations. It was a magical sight, people's lives renewed thanks to one woman's act of kindness.

Tai however couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness and longing as he watched the merry bunch sing and dance into the night. He missed his friends and family badly, and as fun as this was he wanted to spend Christmas with the people he cared about. He jumped slightly when Clara's voice brought him back to reality.

"Hey I just wanted to say thank you for helping me out with this" she said as she watched the happy community in front of her "doesn't it just make your heart flutter seeing them so full of life?" No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop likening this woman to his dear Sora. It wasn't just her appearance, but the energy and compassion she showed, the light in her eyes when she made someone else smile. That was just like Sora, always putting others ahead of herself.

"I guess" Tai shrugged.

Clara turned to face him "Is something wrong?" She asked. Now looking at Tai she could see his anguish "You want to go home don't you, to the people who care about you" there was clear pity in her face.

"Yeah..." Tai responded weakly.

"Well" Clara took a step forward, bringing herself closer too him, uncomfortably close even. He'd only ever talked to her from a few feet away but now their faces were virtually touching. She was blushing, her amber eyes staring deep into his own. "There are people here who care about you too".

Tai was completely taken aback when he felt her warm lips press against his own. He'd dreamt so many times about kissing Sora and this lived up to every expectation. But of course this wasn't Sora.

All of a sudden Tai's head started spinning. Images of the past two days raced across his vision, swirling and spiralling, joining together to form a horrible collage. He winced as the shriek of a horse hit his ear and he felt his head rip in two as it met the solid concrete. Henry was there, laughing malevolently, along with Samuel. And there was Sora, actually Sora, blushing as she leaned in to kiss him.

And then Tai sat up. Above him was a gazebo, filled with Victorian themed items. It was held up by numerous steel bars, one of which he'd hit his head on. It still hurt. He looked around and although it was dark he knew where he was. He was back in Odaiba. He was home.

* * *

"You got me a stress ball?" Tai didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the present Joe Kido had bought for him.

"You just always seem so angry to me" Joe replied matter-of-factly

"What? I'm never angry!" Tai shouted back, instantly seeing what he'd done. "Oh ok then" he scratched the back of his neck "I guess I could do with it. Thanks Joe" He had to chuckle as the rest of the gang laughed at his expense.

The Kamiya's had invited the group of original Digidestined (apart from Matt and TK who spent the entire holidays with their family) around to their apartment on Christmas Eve, just as they did every year. As usual they were all in good spirits, laughing and joking about the gifts they had bought for one another. Tai, surprising them all, had done inexplicably well in his gift giving. For Joe he'd bought a book entitled 'Phobias, getting over your fears', for Izzy a new computer case, for Kari a digital photo frame and for Mimi a designer purse- _"ooh it'll go perfectly with my pink handbag!"_. That left one person.

Upon arriving back in Japan, Tai had done well to avoid talking about his incredible journey. Even his sister Kari who had found him in the park on the way home could not get the truth out of him. He decided it was a story for another day. The dilemma that plagued his mind now however was a lot more mundane, though in Tai's eyes equally important. He still didn't have a gift for Sora. But there was nothing he could do about that now.

"Tai it's time for your present!" the auburn haired girl had a twinkle in her eye as she gave him the gift, a small box wrapped beautifully in white paper. "Merry Christmas".

"Thanks Sora" Tai did his best to hide the guilt in his voice. Carefully he unwrapped the paper to find a small white book. The cover was a picture of Tai and Sora together when they were younger, a soccer ball next to them. They were both smiling brilliantly. On the reverse it read:

Dear Tai,

Thanks for just being you.

Love, Sora

Tai Kamiya was almost brought to tears flicking through the pages of the book, each containing a different picture from their years of friendship. On the final page was a picture of them together, taken only a few weeks back. Tai had his arm around Sora. They both looked content. This time it read:

Here's to years more friendship x

Without thinking, Tai embraced Sora in huge hug. She squealed in delight as she was lifted off the floor and spun around by her best friend, laughing as she was brought back down to earth. The others in the room could only smile.

"Sora I don't know what to say" he had a genuine smile on his face too. She'd obviously put a lot of time and effort into this. Then he remembered his own predicament. "Um, Sora?" He started timidly, his smile completely faded away.

"Tai?" She tilted her head in concern. There was a brief pause.

"I don't have anything for you" He just came out with it. The room went a deathly silent.

Sora bit her lip. For a horrible moment Tai thought she was about to burst into tears. But then somebody spoke.

"Wait, there's one more present under the tree" It was Kari, who was now bringing the box over to Sora. "It's for you" she said, handing it over to the girl. Sora took the gift, shooting Tai a confused look, who was equally as bemused. Sora unwrapped the box and confusion turned to shock as she opened the lid.

Inside were 8 porcelain figurines, all hand crafted and painted with precision. Taking each out carefully Sora's facial expression turned from shock to amazement and finally to pure joy. The figurines were exact, scale replicas of the 8 Digidestined. If Sora thought her present took a lot of work, she couldn't have imagined how long these would've taken Tai to make. Without warning Sora threw herself at Tai, returning his bear hug.

"Tai you idiot, making me think you'd forgotten me!" Her typical smile had returned as she looked into his eyes with gratitude.

"I'd never forget you Sora" Tai laughed.

* * *

_"The end. You'll have to decide for yourselves where that present came from." He chuckled as he tucked his children into bed. "Now get to sleep or Santa won't be able to deliver the presents!" Closing the bedroom door he noticed his wife standing next to him. _

_"So are you ever going to tell them what really happened?" She asked._

_"Not for a few years. Better to keep them believing in the magic of Christmas" he replied._

* * *

**And there it is, the end! It was definitely rushed, 4 chapters in 4 days was a lot more difficult than I expected but ah well, it was an experiment! If you have read until the end I want to thank you a lot, and also ask that you please review the story. It's the only way I can gauge what I'm doing well and not so well. If anything negative reviews are more useful! Once again thanks for reading and Merry Christmas!**


End file.
